Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
To benefit by having two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
Examples
- It's not possible to get your savings and keep the piggy bank intact. You can't have your cake and eat it too!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
44 source translations are retained for this English entry.
-
Chinese Mandarin:
又要當婊子,又要立牌坊 /又要当婊子
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Chinese Mandarin:
又要馬兒好,又要馬兒不吃草 /又要马儿好
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Danish:
man kan ikke både blæse og have mel i munden
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Dutch:
het is het een of het ander
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Finnish:
syödä ja säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi syödä ja säästää)
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Finnish:
sekä syödä että säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi sekä syödä että säästää)
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
French:
avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
German:
auf zwei Hochzeiten gleichzeitig tanzen
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
German:
wasch mich, aber mach mich nicht nass
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
German:
de Füfer u's Weggli ha
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Hindi:
दोनों हाथों में लड्डू होना
(donõ hāthõ mẽ laḍḍū honā)
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Hindi:
चित भी मेरी, पट भी मेरी
(cit bhī merī, paṭ bhī merī)
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Hungarian:
azt akarja, hogy a kecske is jóllakjon, és a káposzta is megmaradjon
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Icelandic:
ekki verður bæði sleppt og haldið
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Icelandic:
bæði sleppa og halda
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Icelandic:
bæði halda og sleppa
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Irish:
é a bheith i do phota agus i do mhála agat
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Italian:
avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Maltese:
riedha ħobla u tredda’
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Persian:
هم خدا را خواستن و هم خرما را
(ham xodâ râ xâstan va ham xormâ râ)
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Persian:
هم خرو خواستن هم خرما
(ham xar-o xâstan ham xormâ)
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Polish:
zjeść ciastko i mieć ciastko
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Polish:
albo rybki, albo akwarium
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Polish:
albo rybka, albo pipka
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Portuguese:
ter sol na eira e chuva no nabal
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Portuguese:
querer sol na eira e chuva no nabal
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Romanian:
și cu buzele unse, și cu slănina în pod
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Romanian:
și cu burta plină, și cu slănina în pod
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Scottish Gaelic:
chan fhaodar a' bhò a reic 's a bainne òl
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Scottish Gaelic:
cha dèan corrag mhilis ìm
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Serbo-Croatian:
имати овце и новце
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Serbo-Croatian:
имати јаре и паре
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Serbo-Croatian:
imati ovce i novce (i)
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Serbo-Croatian:
imati jare i pare (i)
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Spanish:
estar a la vez en la procesión y repicando las campanas
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Spanish:
querer el oro y el moro
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Spanish:
nadar y tener la ropa
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Spanish:
estar en misa y repicando
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Spanish:
soplar y sorber, no puede ser
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Spanish:
tener el oro y el moro
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Spanish:
tener la torta y jamearla ansimismo
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Swedish:
ha sin kaka och äta den med
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Thai:
จับปลาสองมือ
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible
-
Welsh:
cadw torth a'i bwyta hi
— to have two things which are mutually incompatible